In Saturday’s 72-63 loss to Syracuse, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks did everything humanly possible to will her team to a win. She scored 37 points, shooting 68% from the field. But for the third time in her three seasons with the Cyclones, her season was over in the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. 

In wondering what’s next for one of the nation’s best scorers, could the WNBA draft be a possibility? Under the previous CBA, Crooks is WNBA-draft eligible, as she will turn 22 in December. She told ESPN earlier this year that she wants to finish college first, but Iowa State’s finish in the tournament and the new CBA that will pay rookies well could change things. 

Crooks has also not answered questions about whether she will definitely stay at Iowa State. After the loss, she said she was still processing things with her team. It’s not impossible that Crooks could follow the lead of two players on this list below. Both Olivia Miles and Cotie McMahon transferred before the final year of their college careers and thrived with their new teams. 

If Crooks were to declare for the WNBA draft scheduled for April 13, she will be an intriguing prospect. Standing 6-foot-3, she’s shorter than most centers, but her ability to score while absorbing contact has to interest WNBA coaches. 

Crooks' future is still unknown, but other players who are expected to be in the draft had successful first weekends of the tournament. 

Azzi Fudd, UConn 

Azzi Fudd was already one of the top prospects heading into the draft before the tournament started, but her game against No. 9 Syracuse in the second round only bolstered her resume. In her final game for No. 1 UConn at Gampel Pavilion, Fudd scored 34 points in 27 minutes, shooting 72.2% from the field. She made eight 3-pointers, including six in the first half. It’s not just that she played well; she played efficiently and made the most of her time on the court. 

Raven Johnson, South Carolina 

If WNBA scouts were judging Raven Johnson solely on this past weekend’s games, her stock would take a hit. She scored a total of 12 points and dished out eight assists over two games. Her trademark defense was still there, and her minutes were limited because South Carolina won both games in a blowout. The good news for Johnson is that the No. 1 Gamecocks will need her to show off what she can do in their Sweet 16 matchup with No. 4 Oklahoma, and the odds are good she’ll rise to the occasion. 

Flau’jae Johnson, LSU 

If WNBA scouts judged prospects by their joy on the court, Flau’jae Johnson scored high in that category in her final games in Baton Rouge. Her ability to creatively get to the basket is just fun to watch, and she makes sure all of her teammates are in on the party. She scored 24 points against No. 7 Texas Tech in the second round and had two steals, showing the kind of guard she can be in the WNBA. 

Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss

No. 5 Ole Miss was in a tight game with No. 4 Minnesota in the fourth quarter of their second-round game, and Cotie McMahon was the key to how well the Rebels were playing. She had 15 points and was making big, physical plays on defense. Unfortunately, those same plays got her into foul trouble, and she fouled out with four minutes left in the game. Minnesota came back to win the game on a memorable last-second shot that gave us one of the most exciting games of the first weekend.

There’s no way to know if McMahon’s presence in the game would have changed the course of it, but it was easy to see that the fifth foul call was really close. Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said after the game that she thought the call was incorrect, and McMahon’s physicality is what will help her translate to the next level: 

“The SEC is the baby WNBA and in the WNBA you're playing with grown women, and so there is a component that if you're not physical enough, you won't be able to succeed,” McPhee-McCuin said. “That's why Cotie is going to be a first-round pick, because she's physically fit for the next level.”

It’s unlikely that fouling out dinged McMahon’s draft stock, but she’s the only player on this list who won’t be playing the second weekend of the tournament. If anything hurts her, it’s that she won’t get a chance to show off her skills again. 

Olivia Miles, TCU 

No. 3 TCU didn’t have an easy path to the Sweet 16, as the Horned Frogs needed overtime to knock out the No. 6 Washington Huskies in the second round. But Olivia Miles’ play stood out in that win and the team’s first-round win over UCSD. Against Washington, she posted a double-double, scoring 18 and grabbing 10 rebounds. She was even more impressive in the first round, getting a triple-double with 12 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists. She showed off passing prowess early in the game, setting up her teammates with fancy passing. 

Lauren Betts, UCLA 

This play during UCLA’s 96-43 win over Cal-Baptist shows exactly why Betts is expected to go so highly in the WNBA draft.

She makes the pass for Kiki Rice, then sets a pick for her just outside the 3-point line as Rice uses the space Betts made to attempt a shot. When Rice’s shot fails, Betts is already in the paint to make the putback. She knows how to use her size to set up her teammates, but has the ability to move around the court quickly so she can score, too. What WNBA doesn’t need that? 

Kiki Rice, UCLA 

Averaging 27.5 minutes per game, Rice had a decent enough weekend that it didn’t likely affect her draft stock either way. She scored 18 points in the first round and 10 in the second. But there’s another stat that jumps out with Rice: she made 16 out of 16 free throws over the weekend. That kind of consistency from the line — and ability to get to the line that often — are really compelling attributes for a player looking to jump to the next level.